Coastal Discovery Museum highlights Beaufort County artists in Governor’s School exhibit

The Coastal Discovery Museum is showcasing the work of Beaufort County graduates from the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities in a new exhibition celebrating the school’s 25th anniversary.
The show, titled Four Sketchbooks a Year: Celebrating 25 Years of the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, will remain on view through Jan. 4, 2026, at the museum on Hilton Head Island.

The exhibit features visual art by alumni spanning the school’s first graduating class to its most recent, including Emma Barnes, Alex Coley, Amelie Davis, Evan Ford, Alex Gentemann, Colleen Gleason, Nathaniel Greenberg, Kevin Hopkins, Tori Lusik, Luis Paredes, Jack Perry, Olivia Ruxton, Jessie Peterson Tarazi and Wylder Voegele.

Founded in Greenville, the Governor’s School began as a five-week summer music program in 1980 and became a full-time residential high school in 1999. It has since earned a statewide reputation for cultivating young talent across disciplines including visual arts, music, dance, drama and creative writing.

Elizabeth Greenberg, director of exhibitions at the Coastal Discovery Museum, said the display reflects the caliber of work produced through the Governor’s School’s visual arts program.

“As a curator and parent of a Govie, it’s been a joy to see such consistently strong work from students in the visual arts program,” Greenberg said. “And it’s so rewarding to see how the artists continue to grow in college and beyond.”

David Gerhard, visual arts department chair at the Governor’s School, said the program’s emphasis on discipline and creativity prepares students for long-term artistic growth.

“These artists embody our department’s mission of giving South Carolina’s young creatives the tools and resources to flourish as artists in an environment centered around respect, hard work, creativity and connection,” Gerhard said in a statement.

The Governor’s School’s visual arts curriculum includes studio instruction in drawing, painting, ceramics, printmaking, photography, jewelry, and digital design. Students are required to complete four sketchbooks each year, a practice that inspired the title of the exhibit.

The Coastal Discovery Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate located on the historic Honey Horn property, offers year-round exhibits and educational programs focused on Lowcountry culture, history and the environment. Admission to the museum and the exhibit is free.

For more information about the exhibit, visit www.coastaldiscovery.org. Details about the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities are available at www.scgsah.org.